Composition of matter



Q Patented Nov. 7 1939 I Y UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COMPOSITION OF MATTER Willard de 0. Crater, Newark, Del., assignor to Hercules Powder Company, Wilmington, Del., a corporation of Delaware No Drawing. Application August 23, 1938,

Serial No 2 26,251

5 Claims. ((31. 52-13) This invention relates to new compositions of of a 1:1 mixture by weight of alpha-methyl glycmatter and to methods for producing them. erol and glycerol were added gradually with stir- More particularly, it relates to new explosive com- I ring and cooling to 500 parts by weight of a mixed positions obtained by the nitration of alphaacid consisting of 50 per cent nitric acid and 50 5 methyl glycerol in admixture with other polyper cent sulfuric acid. The rate of addition and 5 hydric alcohols, carbohydrates and nitratable cooling were such as to maintain a temperature carbohydrate derivatives. of about 5 C. After the addition was complete I have found that nitration of alpha-methyl and the nitration had taken place, the charge glycerol produces a trinitrate characterized by was run into a separator and allowed to stand.

much lower solubility in waste acid than nitro- Due to the diiference in gravity, the nitrated ma- 10 glycerin. Furthermore, I have found that nitraterial separated in an upper layer and the waste tion of mixtures of alpha-methyl glycerol with acid in a lower layer. After separation was other polyhydric alcohols, carbohydrates, monocomplete, the nitrat'ed material was drawn off into chlorhydrin derivatives of carbohydrates, et'c., an equal volume of water and washed under air produces nitric ester mixtures which are less agiation at about 40 to 45 C. for 15 minutes. 15 soluble than nitroglycerin in the waste acid. The air was then shut off and the charge allowed Reduction of the amount of nitrated product to separate, then drawn ofi. It was washed again dissolved in the waste acid is accompanied by in a similar manner with a 5 per cent by weight several distinct advantages. With the smallerhersolution of sodium carbonate to neutralize the oentage of the nitrated ester in the waste acid, remaining acidity. The charge was then-allowed 20 greater stability of the latter is realized. Also, to settle for a few hours and drawn off. It was the probability of after separation which may suificiently dry for use. The mixed acid from the cause ffume-oifs during storage is materially above nitration contained 1.79 per cent of disdiminished. Furthermore, higher yields of the solved nitrate.

nitrated ester are obtained since a smaller per- Additional examples of similar nitrations car- 25 centage is lost in the waste acid. ried out with alpha-methyl glycerol alone or in In the nitration of glycerol with mixed acid to admixture with polyhydrl alcohols or carboyield glycerol trinitrate, approximately 2.5 per hydrates are given below in the table, together cent of the nitroglycerin remains dissolved in with similar nitrations without the alpha-methyl 3 the waste acid, causing a hazardous condition glycerol.

therein and reducing the nitroglycerin yield by Table that amount. Similarly, in the nitration of mixtures of glycerol and ethylene glycol, about 2.5 Emmple 2 3 4 5 6 7 per cent of the nitrated ester is. lost by solution in the waste acid. Further, nitration of mixtures of glycerol and sugar produces waste acids geny erally containing about 2.75 per cent of nitrated gg g ester. The amount of Waste acid obtained in i i h' gggita'igttggig' nitroglycerin manufacture is usually about 1.5- 801d Pct. Pct. 40 35 Alpha-me thyl glycerol Gl cerol 40 times the weight of nitroglycerin. The loss of 40 the nitroglycerin dissolved in the waste acid is, From the above examples it will be readily seen therefore, of material amount. that the effect of the alpha-methyl glycerol to I have found that the waste acid obtained from reduce the amount of nitrate dissolved in the nitration of a p yl glycerol With mixed waste acid is very pronounced and is directly proacid contains only about 0.70 per cent dissolved portional t th amount of alpha-methyl glycerol nitrate. Similar nitrations of mixtures of alphaincluded in the nitration mixture. 7 methyl glycerol and glyce o ethylene g ycol and Alpha-methyl glycerol trinitrate prepared in sug y eld Waste acids Containing P D accordance with Example 2 shown in the table ate y less nitrated Product than Obtained Withhad a nitrogen content of 17.13 per cent as cornout the alph -m t yl glycerol pared with 17.43 per cent theoretical. All at- 50 My inven ion may be illustrated by the followtempts to crystallize the trinitrate have met with mg p .failure. By determining the freezing point of its Example 1 mixtures with nitroglycerin and extrapolating- One hundred and twenty-five parts by weight the curve of freezing points of various mixtures,

the freezing point of alpha-methyl glycerol was estimated to be about +4 C.

This property of resisting crystallization is very important in the use of alpha-methyl glycerol trinitrate in explosive compositions] Although ethylene glycol dinitrate has a freezing point of 20 C. and its eutectic point with nitroglycerin is still lower than this, it or the eutectic mixture of it and nitroglycerin is not as resistant to crystallization when these temperatures are reached, particularly in the presence of salts, as is alpha-methyl glycerol trinitrate or eutectic mixtures of alpha-methyl glycerol trinitrate with ethylene glycol dinitrate or nitroglycerin.

It will be appreciated that the above examples are given merely for the purpose of illustration and are not intended to limit my invention. Moreover, many variations in composition and procedure may be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

What I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1'. As a composition of matter, a nitration product of a mixture of alpha-methyl glycerol, glycerol and sugar.

2. As a composition of matter, a nitration product of a mixture of alpha-methyl glycerol and sugar.

3. As a composition of matter, a nitration product of a mixture of alpha-methyl gly'cerol,

WILLARD Dr: C. CRATER. 

